Two days after winning the opener against hosts Malta (4-0), tomorrow (6 July) the big match against Portugal will be broadcast live by Rai Sport (channel 58 DT)). The Lusitanians also come from a victory, the one against Poland (2-0), a match in which they showed off all their technical skill, in particular, their attacking unit formed by the Borges-Ribeiro-Felix trident, the latter being the younger brother of the more famous Joao, author of an assist for defender Bras and a goal. Candidates to climb to the roof of Europe, compared to the first match, the Portuguese are certainly a more probing test, a match thanks to which Bollini will be able to better understand both the physical condition and the type of approach to the match of his team: "We meet one of the candidates to win this competition, not only because of its history but also because this year they have won eight and drawn one against Germany out of nine official matches. First in the elite round, they come with great ambitions. The first victory against Poland was clear and they expressed their football: great possession, great technique, great confidence in developing the game, with this offensive potential that is typical of the Portuguese school, especially thanks to the strength of their wings. Their characteristic, best interpreted and dictates of modern football, their ball possession is not sterile but aimed at verticalisation. This is something we will have to be very careful of and be good at turning the front without ever giving up our game and our skills". On their defensive department: "They have two full-backs, one in particular, who are very offensive, so a defence devoted both to building and pushing the game. Maybe up front we'll have to make the most of the one-on-one duels". After being disqualified, Giacomo Faticanti and Fabio Chiarodia will be back available: "For Faticanti - concluded the Azzurro coach - we will have to wait for tonight's medical test to understand what his physical condition is, after which we will decide".

One who knows his opponents well tomorrow is Cher N'Dour, a protagonist in the match against Malta, scorer of a goal from a penalty kick and unlucky on a conclusion that ended up on the post and currently a Benfica player. Among the Portuguese, he has many friends who play for Sporting, Porto and his team, Benfica. In particular, Hugo Felix: "He is a very good guy, very technical and very close to his brother Joao, who came to see him in the game against Poland and maybe will come tomorrow". On Portugal: "A team with a lot of individuality. A very technical midfield and apart from Hugo who played a wonderful game against Poland, goals and assists, the other one to watch out for is the other winger, Carlos Borges of Manchester City, very fast, an important player. We will have to do ours, give everything and continue to be a team. We also have strong individuals and if we help each other and listen to the coach's advice, we can really hurt them up front."

In 2018, Paolo Nicolato's Italy Under-19s played against Portugal in the European Under-19 final in Finland, one of the best ever, losing in extra time 4-3. It was the Italy of Kean, Zaniolo and Scamacca that qualified for the Under-20 World Cup played in Poland the following year, reaching the semi-finals against Ukraine, later winners of the tournament. The Azzurrini, under the guidance of Nicolato, qualified in fourth place, losing 1-0 in the final against Ecuador.

The other match in group A will be between Malta and Poland scheduled at 21.15 CEST tomorrow at the Centenary Stadium in Ta'Qali.

The matches played yesterday in group B saw Norway's firey 5-4 victory over Greece, where captain Odegard showed off with a brace, and Spain's narrow victory over Iceland (2-1). Spain and Norway lead with three points a piece.

Group B standings: Spain and Norway 3 pt., Greece and Iceland 0.

PORTUGAL. The Lusitanians made it through the elite phase with a clear run: three wins against Sweden (1-0), the Czech Republic (3-0) and Slovakia (3-0), scoring seven goals without conceding any. They were last European champions in 2018, the final won in extra time (4-3) against Paolo Nicolato's Italy. Coach, Joaquim Milheiro. Formation, 4-3-3. Key players: Hugo Felix, brother of Joao, CAM for Benfica U23; Carlos Borges, CAM for Manchester City U23; Rodrigo Ribeiro, centre forward Sporting (B). Highly technical team with some shortcomings in defence.